Monday, December 9th: Migrating to Prison Reading

César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández's new book examines immigration prisons in America, using personal stories to put a face on the victims of a truly inhumane system. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave., 652-4255, http://townhallseattle.org, 7:30 pm, $5.

Tuesday, December 10th: Seattle Writers + Artists

See our Event of the Week column for more details.

Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar, 1508 11th Ave., 709-9797, http://vermillionseattle.com, 6 pm, free.

Wednesday, December 11th: 50 Barn Poems Reading

Amber Nelson, Nadine Maestas, and C. C. Hannett help author Zac Smith debut his new book, which is, in fact, a book collecting fifty poems by Smith about barns. How's that for truth in advertising? Solo, 200 Roy St, 213-0080, http://www.solo-bar.com, 8 pm, free.

Thursday, December 12th: Revolutionary Love Reading

Rabbi Michael Lerner, a "social theorist and psychotherapist," makes the case in his new book that the one real crisis that's doing the most damage in the world today is "driven by frustrated needs for community, love, respect, and connection to a higher purpose in life." Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave., 652-4255, http://townhallseattle.org, 7:30 pm, $5.

Friday, December 13th: Copper Canyon Press Showcase and Holiday Book Sale

Every year, Port Townsend poetry publisher Copper Canyon Press, which publishes some of the best poetry books in the world, presents a showcase reading and one-publisher book fair at Hugo House. This is a chance to get some great personalized poetry books (maybe at a discount) for a gift for your loved ones. Hugo House, 1634 11th Avenue, 322-7030, http://hugohouse.org, 7 pm, free.

Saturday, December 14th: Enough Reading

Subtitled Notes From a Woman Who Has Finally Found It, Shauna Ahern's new book is a memoir about what it's like when a woman who has been dogged by feelings of inadequacy finally decides she's good enough. You may know Ahern from her popular Gluten-Free Girl series of cookbooks. The Neverending Bookshop,7530 Olympic View Drive, Unit 105, 425-415-1945, http://www.theneverendingbookshop.com/, 5 pm, free.

Sunday, December 15th: Short Stories Live: A Rogue's Family Christmas

"Julie Briskman, Kurt Beattie, Marianne Owen, and special guests Nancy and Joe Guppy" share Christmas stories with a rapt audience as a special holiday outing of Town Hall's popular series. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave., 652-4255, http://townhallseattle.org, 2 pm, $15.